Abbreviations in Heating & Ventilation

HVAC and ACHV

• Each of these acronyms abbreviates the same thing: "heating, ventilation, and air conditioning," or "air conditioning, heating and ventilation." "HVAC" is the more commonly used. The name indicates that HVAC systems are generally made up of independent ductwork that can be used to heat, ventilate, or cool the interior of a building. Heat sources, cool-air sources, or fans without heated or cooled air can be attached to ventilation ducts.

HVCA

• This is yet another heating-industry jumble. HVCA means the Heating and Ventilation Contractors' Association in the United Kingdom. It lobbies for the health of its industry and advocates for its member contractors.

CFM

• CFM is a very common abbreviation and acronym in the heating industry. It stands for "cubic feet per minute." It is a critical measure for many kinds of pumps, particularly air pumps and heating pumps. For example, furnaces are measured in their maximum capacity to heat and cool by measuring their maximum CFM, the amount of air they can displace in one minute.

BTU

• BTU is another very common abbreviation and acronym in heating. It stands for "British thermal unit." It is the most common measure of how much heat a furnace can produce. When the maximum BTU of a heating device is known, matrices can be used to choose the right furnace for a given space or home. The larger the house, the more BTUs are required.

Other Common HVAC Abbreviations

• In addition to "HVAC" and the most commonly used HVAC abbreviations, here's a list of abbreviations you're likely to run into in the HVAC business. "AL" means "air leakage." "CA" stands for "central air." "DCV" is short for "demand controlled ventilation." "MZ" means "multiple zone." "RA" signifies "return air." And "VP" is used for "velocity pressure."